Evolution
by BirdG
Summary: Four times Draco Malfoy was a git to Asteria Greengrass and one time he wasn't.


**Author's Note:** I own nothing, JKR owns everything. Not a part of the _Court This Disaster / More Than Our Abilities_ universe. Not overtly shippy.

And as I explain in my profile, JKR spelled it Ast**e**ria on the Weasley Family Tree so that's how I spell it. Please pay attention to this and don't comment to tell me I misspelled it.

* * *

"You stay here, I'll be right back," Linus Greengrass told his youngest daughter.

Nodding obediently, Asteria took a seat on the edge of the fountain. In all the Ministry, this was her favorite place because of the statue that was the centerpiece of the floor. Looking up at the golden figures of the witch and wizard being admired by the other creatures, she felt an overwhelming sense of pride. Today she was going to get her own wand and, in little more than a month, she'd be off to Hogwarts to become a proper witch!

She dug through the bag that contained some of her books and supplies, pulling out a Chocolate Frog. Upon opening the small box, Asteria dropped it in surprise as the frog jumped out with an alarming force. It landed right on the face of the Goblin statue, lingering for a moment before dropping into the fountain with a plop.

"Here! Here!" Turning, she saw Draco Malfoy walking up to her, holding out a Chocolate Frog still in its box. "You can have one of mine."

While she knew Malfoy well enough since their parents were friends and she and Daphne were forced to attend his birthday parties, she never consider him a particularly nice person. The open, smiling expression he wore didn't seem to fit.

"Thanks," she said slowly, reaching out a hand.

Draco snatched it away, laughing loudly. "Can't believe you fell for that." Walking away, he smirked at her over his shoulder as he opened the box. Quickly popping the Chocolate Frog in his mouth he mumbled, "Get your own, Greengrass."

***

Her second year here and she still found Hogwarts large and confusing. She'd managed to be fooled by one of the trick doors that lined the second floor, thinking it would be a short-cut and instead winding up across the castle. Small details like that aside, this year was off to a better start than the last. No Dementors standing guard outside Hogwarts, no murderers on the loose and most of all, no werewolves masquerading as kindly professors. Like everyone else Asteria knew, she was excited about the upcoming first task of the Triwizard Tournament. Rumors had been swirling around about what it would be; some said the champions would have to fight a Troll while others claimed they'd have to make a Banshee laugh.

Cradling her books close to her chest, she hurried up the stairs, not wanting to be late for Transfiguration. Unfortunately, she forgot to hop over the trick step and got caught in it, falling forward, her books flying everywhere. Shrugging off her sore elbow, Asteria gathered her things, desperately wishing she had learned a Summoning charm.

"Missing something?" Asteria glanced around to spot Malfoy holding a rolled-up parchment - her Transfiguration essay.

"Give that to me," she demanded, marching over to where he stood.

"Oh ho! That's not very polite, is it?" he asked the two lumbering goons who followed him everywhere. Before she could snatch it away, Malfoy tossed it to one of them.

The three older boys formed a circle around her, tossing the parchment back and forth while she tried in vain to grab it. Cheeks burning with shame, she stopped grabbing for it, staring at Malfoy and willing herself not to cry.

"Aw, what's the matter?" he mocked. Catching the parchment from Goyle, he tossed it back to Crabbe. "You're not going to cry, are you?"

Along with the Summoning Charm, Asteria hadn't learned any useful hexes. Proper pure-blooded young ladies weren't isupposed/i to fight. Instead, she ripped the "Potter Stinks" badge off her robes and threw it at Malfoy, hitting him right between the eyes. Blinking in surprise, Malfoy stared at her. The other two boys stopped and exchanged stunned glances.

Asteria took advantage of their momentary confusion, yanking the parchment from Crabbe's beefy fist and running down the hall as fast as she could.

***

It was such a perfect, sunny Spring day that Asteria decided to do her homework outside. She pulled her long black hair into a ponytail and shrugged out of her Hogwarts robes, feeling more comfortable now that she was only in the white cotton blouse and gray wool skirt of her uniform. Rifling through her bag, she pulled out her Defense book first, knowing that essay would be the easiest. Umbridge didn't care what you thought as long as you parroted back everything she and the book said.

Along with the book, parchment ,and quill, she took out a box of sweets her mum had sent for her birthday. Nibbling on one of the chocolate biscuits, careful not to get crumbs on the parchment, Asteria lost herself in her work. She was so engrossed in what she was doing, she didn't notice Malfoy and his friends approaching till she felt her bra straps pull back only to slap against her skin hard enough to leave a mark.

Asteria jumped, arms instinctively crossing over her chest as she looked around. She soon spotted Goyle and Crabbe, doubled over in laughter. It hadn't been either of them, she knew, because neither had their wands out.

Something thudded down next to her; Malfoy was sitting beside her, one arm snaked around her as he reached for the box of sweets on her other side.

"Careful with the sweets, Greengrass," he whispered, his wand poking into the flesh of her thigh left exposed by her skirt. He leaned in closer, the tip of his wand pushing underneath her skirt. "Get any porkier and you'll look like Bulstrode."

She threw the box of sweets in his face and gave him shove for good measure. Summoning her things, Asteria told him to "drop dead" before flouncing away.

***

Asteria passed the Prefect's Bathroom with a longing glance. It was silly, she knew, but part of the reason she was so keen on becoming a Prefect next year was so she could use that bathroom. The regular bathrooms were completely utilitarian in design and function whereas the Prefect's Bathroom sounded luxurious in comparison. According to Daphne, Pansy Parkinson often gloated about how nice it was to enjoy a soak in a bubble bath whenever she wanted rather than waiting for a shower stall in a bathroom shared with fifty other girls.

Nearing curfew, the fourth floor hall was deserted and quiet as the grave. Most students were in their dorms enjoying a bit of freedom before Easter hols began the next day. Asteria, however, had spent most of the evening in the library, doing research for Potions. Aside from the ever-present Madam Pince, she'd been the only one there the entire time.

She had just passed the boys' bathroom, when she heard a familiar masculine voice.

"...can't go home... he'll want to know why..."

Pausing, Asteria stared at the door in amazement when a female voice answered. Whatever was said, it was done too softly for her to hear but it sounded soothing. Glancing nervously around the hall, she moved in close, pressing her ear against the door. It sounded as if the boy was crying and the girl was trying to comfort him. Asteria still couldn't identify either voice though she was certain she knew both. There was the sound of running water and both the girl and boy said something. Then it went quiet.

Backing away from the door, she peered at it in confusion. Suddenly, it opened, revealing the blotchy face of Draco Malfoy.

"What are you doing, Greengrass?" he snarled, his face twisting into something ugly.

"I -- I just -- I...."

"You don't have any business in a boy's room, unless you're too stupid to read." A mirthless laugh followed and he sneered, "Or maybe you were waiting for someone. Zabini says your sister's a slag; figures you'd be one too."

This was rich coming from someone who spent all of fifth year eating Pansy Parkinson's face in front of all of Slytherin. "At least I don't spend my time crying in the bathroom like some homesick firstie!"

Malfoy closed the gap between them, pointing his index finger in her face. "You didn't hear anything and if you tell anyone, you'll regret it, understand?"

Too stunned to respond, she could only stare at his retreating back.

***

The nightmare was supposed to be over. Potter had destroyed the Dark Lord, ending the war seven days ago.

Asteria found that for her, the nightmare was just beginning. The day after the Battle at Hogwarts, Aurors had come for her parents, arresting them for colluding with the Death Eaters. They weren't Death Eaters; the Greengrasses had never taken the Dark Mark. However, her father had worked for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, overseeing Azkaban, and her mother in Gringotts. During the war, they had helped the Dark Lord, imprisoning Muggle-borns and seizing their vaults. They'd been too scared for their lives and the lives of their daughters to do anything else.

The courtroom was crowded, standing room only, and the people inside were restless. The Malfoys had been let off due to some deal with Potter and the outrage over that had some crying out for their pound of flesh.

She wished Daphne could be here but, along with arresting their parents, the Ministry had seized itheir/i vault and her sister was fighting Gringotts to get it back.

"Helena Greengrass and Linus Greengrass," called the Senior Under-Secretary. Wrists bound and flanked by MLE officers who once served under her dad, her parents were brought before the Wizengamot and the charges against them were read.

Shacklebolt read the parchment in front of him, their so-called trials over, the charges had been decided the previous night. He read the decisions of each member of the Wizengamot and Asteria stopped counting after the tenth "guilty."

"Helena Greengrass, you are hereby sentenced to twenty-four months in Azkaban and fined one-hundred thousand Galleons..." The crowd cried out and Asteria felt her knees buckle, backing up against the wall for support. Of the pair, she knew her mother was going to have the lighter sentence, and she feared what that meant for her father.

"Linus Greengrass, you are hereby sentenced to ten years..." Asteria didn't hear the rest, she covered her mouth to stifle her sobs.

"Dad! Dad!" She pushed through the crowd, ignoring the angry mutters as she did. Her dad gave her a small sad smile over his shoulder as the MLE officers lead him and her mother out of the room.

Someone's hands were on her upper arms and she found herself being pulled away. "Don't be an idiot, Greengrass."

"Malfoy?"

"Very good. Now come along, you don't want to stick around here, trust me." He guided her out of the courtroom. She wiped at her tears with her hands and Draco waved a white handkerchief under her nose. "Take it. You're a mess."

"Thanks," she answered dully.

He nodded, shoving his hands into his pockets and looking around them. "Where's your sister?"

"Trying to get our money from Gringotts."

"Good luck with that," Malfoy snorted. The Daily Prophet had reported that while the Malfoys had walked away from Azkaban, they were expected to pay heavy reparations. Any money they'd had in Gringotts had been seized by the Ministry.

"Do you have any family abroad?"

She shook her head. There were distant cousins but Asteria didn't even know their names. "What are you doing here?"

"Goyle's sentencing was today..." he said, his words trailing off into silence. Malfoy didn't need to say anything more; Asteria had been in the courtroom when they sentenced Goyle to three years in Azkaban.

"I heard about Crabbe. I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thanks," he said roughly, determinedly not looking at her for a few moments. "I hear they start rebuilding Hogwarts on Monday; it would look good if you went down there. I already owled McGonagall, so I'm going to be there."

She nodded though Asteria found it hard to think beyond her current situation. "Right."

"C'mon," he said, offering her an arm. "I'll take you home. You don't have an Apparation License, and there's a long wait for the only available Floo."

Asteria looked him in the eyes, surprised at the sincerity she found there. She took his arm.

"It'll be all right, you know," he told her. "Eventually."

She wanted nothing more than to believe him.


End file.
